Starting a blog about D&D

So I'm starting a blog. And what better way to start it than to explain why it will exist.

First of all, the main thing is that I love to write, and with my online class ending early I'm going to have much more free time on my hands. So I'm going to fill it with more writing.

Secondly, with this free time (and inspiration from some great blogs) I will be prepping a summer-long campaign for, well, this summer. The group is gathered (maybe I'll talk about them later) and ideas are spurring around.

So this blog will be a flexing of my writing and the gathering of ideas for a campaign.

What this will not be is a "how-to" guide. I'm not a teacher. Don't think I could be if I tried. I hate kids.

It will also not be a mechanics based lecture of any kind. I'm not huge on creating mechanics. In fact, I prefer to leave things open and hope my players will agree with my rulings. Sometimes they don't, but that's okay. Most of the time they do.

So what will this blog contain? Thoughts, maps (maybe), inspiration for you and for me, write ups on guilds from my homebrew world, as well as the homebrew world itself. I'll speak of it here, but as the thought gathering process is new and this is supposed to just be a introduction, I'll keep it brief (yeah right).

This world is a savage world. And I mean that in a literal sense. Civilization is an anomaly. Nature rules. The known woods are the Everwood, which is the primary hub for the adventure, the Bryrewood, which is said to be a place the moon watches feverishly, and the Neverending Wood, which is speculated to only exist in the twilight hours.

Each place is large enough for adventurers to never have to leave and varied enough so that it's not just trees after trees. But the primary location for dungeons and adventure will be in the woods.

There is an epoch of civilization in this world. A place where these woods branch out from. It is called the Sunbroke Sea. There are rumors speculating its creation, many of which say that it was where the sky stood during the Sundering, when it separated itself from the ground. But no one is quite certain. In fact, history itself is a new concept to this world. Maps aren't to be trusted. Religion is considered rumor. Nothing is for certain but your own beliefs. And even they may be false.

I don't want to dive into detail on planes and the pantheons yet, but the idea is that the only "real" religion is spiritualism, or, the concept that everything from the smallest pebble to the tallest mountain has a spirit, and those spirits can communicate, is true. Some do, some don't. But that's the main concept. As for planes...there aren't any. Or so they say. Most scholars believe that the spirits themselves have a realm. They speculate this from many reports of sailors sailing out of the Gold Coast, far into the Sunbroke Sea, and seeing strange things...They call them weak spots. Places where the two worlds become one.

And there are also those that support the idea of a dream world, or dreamscape of some kind. Shared dreams have been known to occur among families, guilds, and even complete strangers. Sometimes a mystical creatures, typically your spirit animal, will visit you in your dreams. Those dreams are said to become true.

A quick note on spirit animals: everyone has one, and yes your spirit animal can be a rock. A spirit animal is really not up to you. One just binds to you and watches over you for the rest of your life. If you're lucky you get something like a dog (which are said to be guardian angels) or something like a great mountain. If you're unlucky you get the aforementioned rock, or possibly something that portends danger, like a dragon, or a banana tree.

An aside about dragons (considering the name of the game). The "true" dragons are non-existent. In fact, most people don't believe dragons exist. But they do. Oh yes, they do. Why do you think there are seasons? Or, if you're in the Neverending Wood, why there are only two seasons? Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn. They are the effect of dragons. As is the weather. Rain, heat, ice storms, hurricanes, whatever. They all have a dragon to them. You don't believe me? Ask one yourself. A wise man once said that if you catch a dragon by its tail, it must answer any question (there's got to be a rhyme in there somewhere). Though why you would want to risk touching one's tail is beyond me.

Okay, I think that's about all I want to cover. Or, at least that's the groundwork for what's to come.

A few inspiration points and a summary of what the world is aiming for. First of all, Lovecraft is a huge inspiration. And not in the way most people think of Lovecraft. Honestly I don't know if half the people who talk about him have read any of his work. I mean Lovecraft in the way of his density and his spirit. Spirit may be an odd word. What I mean is, this world is bleak, mainly in the sense that nothing is for certain. The world does not care that you spent forever making your character. The world does not care if you forgot to bring a compass. The world is unforgiving. It is nature. It will be here long after your character is worm food. Much like Lovecraft's cosmic indifference, this world has an indifference to those that live on it. It is alive. It breathes, eats, and even sleeps. Our folly is of no concern.

Secondly is Miyazaki films. The wonder, the emotion, and the childlike quality of them. Spirits are always a big part of his movies and so they will be in this world. In fact, I just thought of this, you could almost say that the dead have more pull on this world than the living. But that's up for discussion. I know that saying the world is indifferent makes it's hard to believe that it could also be cute, but the world is very cute. There are cute things. Fairies, tiny talking drakes, other things. The world is meant to be loved and to be adored. The NPCs are zany, sorta loopy, as if the world just makes everyone a little off. And it's meant to be fun and enjoyable.

Thirdly would have to be the Dark Souls series. I would go ahead and say that everything under the From Software brand. This is because of the lack of civilization. The idea of exploring surreal locales. The NPCs being sparse but intricate. The mystical nature of the monsters and the dungeon-like quality of the area (how they are sectioned off and accessed by a singular hub). The vibe is also something to be wondered at. Melancholia. Lost souls wandering around. Curses that force deadly quests. Great winged beasts that carry you to new worlds. Dead kings of ash and cinder. Witches of dark flame.

So yeah. Maybe you find this and you think this sounds cool. Maybe you don't. Maybe I'm just talking to myself. Regardless, this will be updated irregularly at times and frequently at others. It all just depends on the flow of ideas.

So long for now,
Your DM